richards



(No Model.) 8'Sh eets Sheet 1.

F. H. RICHARDS. GRAIN WEIGHER.

No. 442,719.- Patented Dec. 16, 1890.

(N0 Modem 8.81'1eets-Sheet 2. F. H. RICHARDS.

v v GRAIN WBIGHER. No. 442,719. Y Patented Dec. 16, 1890.

(No Model.) Sheets-Sheet 4.

I., H. RICHARDS.

GRAIN WEIGEER,

m,M%-. 215 g m: No ms Perms co., Pumumm, msmun'rcn, o. c.

(N0.M0de1.) s Sheets-Sheet 6. 1-", H RICHARDS. GRAIN WEIGHBB.

No. 442,719. Patented Dec. 16, 1890-;

(NovModeL) 8 Sheets-Sheet 7.

I. H. RICHARDS.

GRAIN WEIGHER.

; l JZWWM we Nunmfi Farms cc, more-urns, WASHINGTON. nxc.

(No Mode l.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 8.

.P. H. RICHARDS.

GRAIN WEIGHER' "No. 442,719. Patented Dec. 16, 1890.

mkmxm 21a 2 n15 NORRIS vuzns'ca, pno-rmmum, WASHINGTON, a. c.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS ll. RICHARDS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE PRATT d: lVI'lITNEY COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

GRAIN-WEIGHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters'Patent N0. 442,719, dated December 16, 1890.

Application filed March 28, 1890. Serial No. 345,730. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: B. This beam has l-shaped bearings and Be it known that I, FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, 22, one at each end of the hollow shaft a citizen of the United States, residing at thereof, which rest on the pivots or knife Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State edges 21 and 26, that are suitably supported 5 of Connecticut, have invented certain new as by bearings 23 and 25 011 the frame-work.

and useful Improvements in Grain-WVeighers, Opposite to arms 19 and 21 an arm 28 extends of which the following is a specification. rearwardly of the scale'beam shaft 50, and is This invention relates to automatic grainprovided with a pivot or knife-edge 27, on weighers of the single-bucket class, the object which the main weight W (also designated as :0 being to provide an organization of mechanthe counter-weight) is suspended by ahook 29. 6o ism adapted to be made in large sizes and to The bucket-closer (designated in a general have a Valve mechanism operating in connecway by L) consists of the suitably-formed tion with regulator apparatus. plate or closer proper 75, having the arms '7 9 In the drawings accompanying and forming and 80, (usually formed integral th erewith,)

r 5 a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a front which are pivoted at 77 and 7 8, respectively, elevation of a grain-weigher embodying my to the bucket G. Said plate is preferably present improvements. Fig. 2 is a side eleformed cup-shaped, as shown, so as to hold ration of the machine as seen from the right the grain without closing against the edges hand in Fig. 1, some parts being broken away 35 and 37 of the bucket-spout 34, but closes 20 the more clearly to show the construction. under said spout-edges and contiguous to the Fig. 3 is a similar view of the left-hand side guard 36, so that the grain is kept from leakof the machine, Fig. 4 is a plan View of the iug out without requiring close-fitting of said parts that are carried by the top plate. Fig. 5 parts, as shown in Fig. 11. The arm 79 exis a rear view of portions of the frame-work, tends above the pivot 77 to engage with the 2 5 the counter-weight, and some accessory parts. catch 81 of the latch 82, and thus lock said Figs. 6 and 7 are front and side views, recloser when this is closed, as in Fig. 2, and to spectively, of one end of the cut-01f valve, engage with the catch 85 of the latch 86 for showingthe weighted valve-arm andthe valvelocking said closer when open, as in Fig. 9. actuating cam on said arm. Fig. 8 is a detail The latch or lever 82, which is pivoted at 87 30 and top View of the lower weight-rod stopto the bucket, extends rearwardly to engage 8o collar, taken in line a a, Fig. 2. Figs. 9, 10, with the pin 88,that is fixed in the upright2of 11, and 12 are right-hand side elevations, the framework, unlocking the closeron the deillustrating the general operation of the mascent of the bucket. A stop-pin 89, fixed in chine. the bucket, limits the downward movement of 5 Similar characters designate like parts in said latch when the closer is open. The latch 85 all the figures. or lever 86 is pivoted at 91 to the bucket and The frame-work for carrying the operative extends Iearwardly to engage with the pin 92,

parts of this machine usually, and as shown that is fixed in the rod 18 for unlocking the in the drawings, comprises two side frames closer on the rising of the hopper P. A stop- 40 or uprights 2 and 4, held together by the top pin 93, fixed in the bucket, limits the upward plate 5, carrying the supply-chute H, and at movement of the inwardly-projecting arm or the bottom by the beam or part 215, Figs. 1 of said latch S6,which arm is held nominally and 2. in contact with said pin 93 by means of the The grain-bucketG is of the single-chamweighted end 95 of the said detent-latch. A bered type or class, and is suspended under suitable weight, as 124, is provided to nor- 5 the supply-chute H by means of the hangers mally close the bucketcloser '75. j 16 and 18, that are fixed to the bucket, and are The particular construction and arrangesuspended by V-shaped bearings on the pivment herein set forth of the bucket-spout ots or knife-edges 15 and 17, respectively, of and the combination therewith of the bucket- 50 the principal arms 19 and 21 of the scale-beam closer is best illustrated as to the object and utility thereof in Figs. 9 and 10. The edge 35 being lower thanthe edge 37, the grain is directed thereby against the closer '75, as there shown, and thus acts directly and strongly to complete the opening movement of said closer by the pressure of the grain thereon, thus insuring the locking open of said closer by the detent'latch 86 by continuously acting 011 the closer until and after the same is fully opened. By this means ample power is obtained for raising the weight 13-1, which, on the unlocking of said latch 86, operates to promptly shut the said closer.

The guard 36, in addition to the function of preventing leakage, as above mentioned, acts in conjunction with the opened closer, as clearly shown in Fig. 10, to control the direction of the outflow of grain into the regulator-hopper, and also increases, as there well shown, the accumulation of grain against the closer.

One feature of my present improvements relates to the construction of the reducing, valve, wherebyit is furnished with arms, one at either end of the valve-blade, which arms are constructed for pivotally supporting said blade, and whereby it is provided with a reducing-cam set on a radius crosswise to the valve radius, which cam is joined to the valve-arm by an outreachingarm from said valve-arm. By means of this construction provision is made for operating the valve from the beam-arm '71, extending across the line of the valve-axis beyond the valve-blade, and for so doing without transmitting the strains through any joints,since in this form the valve, together with its said arms and cam, may be an integral structure,'thereby securing also efficiency and low cost of manufacture. The valve-arms 62 and 64. rise from either end of the valve-blade 60, and are bored at their upper ends for the valve-supporting pivots. Said valveis carried by said arms on the pivots 01 (31, which are removably fixed in the frame-work, said valve being furnished with a suitable stop, as 66, Fig. 9, to limit the closing movement thereof.

The valve is furnished with the valvelever 69, which is operated by the scale-beam and also by the hopper through the arm 71 and its connections, in a manner hereinafter described. The lever 69 is carried by an out reaching arm 67, and is usually weighted either by a weight formed thereon, as shown in the drawings, or by a weight attached thereto. As herein shown and described, the

blade and are pivoted at o 4011] the sidesof the supply-chute II. The arm 72 extends above said pivot and has formed thereon the cut-offvalve cam 68, which arm, continuing upward, is provided with a suitable weight, as 90. The preferred construction, the utility, and the mode of operation of the cam 68 are matters fully set forth in the application of (1H.

Cooley and F. H. Ricliai'ds,Sei-ial No. 339,967,

filed February 11, 1800, to which reference may be had. It will be observed thatthe cam 68 has three faces 6, 7, and l t. The part (i of the cam-face is used during the closing of the reducing-valve, the part 7 is used during the poising period and is substantially coincident in extent with the poising movement of the beam, and the part 1 is used to cut off the drip and to effect the discharge of the bucket-load of grain. The cam 68 (similarly to the cam-arm (3.) of the reducing-valve) is set beyond the end of the valve, as in Fig. 0, being carried by the outreaching part 76 of the arm 72. By means of this construc tion space is obtained for the working of the valve-actuator arm 54 across the line of the valve-axis and outside of the valve and its pivot 73, as shown in Fig. 1. The valve-actuator, as herein shown, is a small roller 55, carried by the actuatorarm 54, which is pivoted at 50' to the arm 19 of the beam B. Said actuator-arm 54 has pivotally attached thereto at 83 a connecting-rod 84, whose opposite end is connected at 96 to the arm or link 97, which is pivoted at 58 to an arm 59, that is formed on the scale-beam. The rod 13 is also pivoted at its upper end at 96 to the link 97, and at its lower end to the hopper I. By this means the hopper by its vertical movement operates the links 84: and 97, after the manner of a toggle-joint, to shift the said valve-aetuator from its ope 'ative position in Figs. 2 and 12 to its inoperative position. (Shown in Figs. 0, 10, and 1]..) This feature of my present invention, whereby automatic regulation of the machine is eifected, is described and claimed in my prior application, Serial No. 0,814, filed February 17, 1890, to which referenceanay be had. It will of course be understood that the oscillating movement of the hopper P is to be limited by some suitable stop devices-as, for instance, those shown in Figs. 5 and O to 12, inclusive. In the preferred arrangement thereof shown in said views a stop-arm 230 is fixed to or formed on the hopper, and suitable stops or abut ments, as 231 and 232, are formed on the innet side of the upright d of the frame-work.

The beam-arm 71, above referred to, is fixed by a pin or otherwise to the stud 220, that is journaled in a suitable bearing formed on the arm 21 of the scale-beam. A short arm 22]. is fixed in a similar manner to the outer end of said stud,and has pivotally attached thereto at one end of arod 223, whose opposite end is pivoted at 224: to an arm or link 225, which is pivotally connected at 226 to the arm 227, that is formed on the scale-beam. A rod 13', similar to rod 13, is connected at 224;

IIO

to the rod 223 and the arm 225, the lower end of said, rod being pivotally connected to the hopper P. (See Figs. 3 and 5.) Said hopper is pivoted at 98 and 99 to the frame-work, and has an arm 10, fixed thereto and provided with the usual counter-weight 11 of sufficient mass to open the valves when the hopper P is empty of grain. The arm 71 thus operated is a ,shiftable valve-actuator for the reducing-valve, and as such is described and claimed in my said prior application, Serial No. 340,814, filed February 17, 1890, .and also in my prior application, SerialNo. 341,196,

filed February 20, 1890, to which reference may be had.

For counter-balancing the bucket mechanism and its load of grain,I employ the improved weight described and claimed in the joint application of O. H. Oooley and F. H. Richards, Serial No. 339,967, filed February 11,1890, to which reference may be had. The main weight is designated in a general way by \V, and is suspended from the scale-beam by a rod 32, on which the said weight is freely fitted. The circular cover 104 and the cylindrical cover 105 are or may be the same as the corresponding parts similarly designated in said prior application; but these several details are not essential to my present invention. The suspension-rod 32 is provided with the hook 29, that is fitted with a V-shaped bearing 31, (similar to the bearings at the upper ends of the hangers 16 and 18,) which is secured thereto by a screw 30. The said bearing rests on the knife-edge 27 of the scale-beam B, and thus supports said main weight during the upward movement of the beam-arm 28. For supporting said weight when the same is down, a suitable shelf or bracket, as 108, is provided on the framework, and improved devices are also provided, operating in connection with said bracket for limiting the ascending and descending movements of said weight and of the scale-beam and the grain-bucket.

It is to be understood that when reference is herein made to the movement of the scalebeam the movement of the bucketsupporting arms thereof is meant, this coinciding, of course, with the movement of the bucket itself.

The bracket 108 is formedon or secured to the frame-work, and'has formed therein the slot or opening 120, through which passes the rod 32 and the sleeve 121 on said rod. Said sleeve is fixed to the lower end of the rod 32 by means of a key 119, which is let intoa slot extending across both the sleeve and rod, as shown in section in Fig. 2. On the upper end of said sleeve (which is held in place by screws 12) there is formed a flange or collar 122, on which rests the weight 1V, and on the lower end there is formed a flange 123, that is constructed substantially as shown in the drawings, so that no grain can lodge thereon.

and thereby interrupt the operation of the machine. The flanges 122 and 123 limit the downward and upward movements, respectively, of the weightVV by their contact with the upper and lower ribs 42 and 44, respectively, 011 the said bracket 108, contiguous to the said slot 120; The flange 123 has a narrow external rim formed in short sections 8, which are separated by the inclined surfaces 9, as shown in Figs, 2, 3, and 5. The rim-sections 8 being so narrow, the grain does not readily lie thereon, and the ribs 44 beingalso narrow any grain on the flange 123 is discharged with great certainty when this flange rises against said ribs. It has been found experimentally that this improvement is very reliable and effective for its intended purpose, so that any wheat or corn thrown accidentallyor designedlyonto the flange quickly runs off or is dislodged,and does not obstruct the machine. It has also been found that with a plain collar in place of said speciallyconstructed flange the machines in commercial work are subject to frequent stoppages from said cause. For it will be remembered that any grain between the said flange and its stop-surfaces would reduce the descending movement of the scale-beam and the bucket, so that the cam 68 could not properly act upon the beam to accelerate the downward movement thereof, and so that the stops 88 could not unhook the latches S2 fordischargingthe load.

The manner of connecting the sleeve 121 to rod 32 has an important utility, in that it provides for the necessary assembling and disassembling of the parts without giving any opportunity for misadjusting them, so that when the machine is once correctly constructed it may be sent disassembled to distant places and be properly put together by unskilled workmen without danger of "itiating the accuracy of the machine by improper adjustment.

The general operation of this improved grain-weigher may be described as follows: WVhen the bucket G is receiving the first part of aload of grain, (the hopper P being up, as in Fig. 2,) the beam is up, both the valves are open, and the closer 75 is closed, being lockedby means of the latch 82. Both valves being open, the grain flows freely and rapidly from the outlet 65 of the supply-chute H into the bucket. When the major part of a load of grain has been deposited in the bucket, the beam descends to the poising-point, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This descent of the beam allows the reducing-valve 60 to close, thereby reducing the flow of grain into the bucket to a drip. On the full load being made up by the drip the beam further descends and the cut-off valve 70 is closed, and on the descent of the beam below the poising-point the latch 82 strikes the pin 88, thus unlocking the bucket-closer, which is then opened by the weight of the grain in the bucket and locked open, as in Fig. 10. The closer being thus opened, the grain is discharged from the bucket into the regulator-hopper P, as illustrated in Fig. 9. The discharge-spout 34 of the bucket has an emptying capacity a little in excess of the continuously-open outlet of the regulatorhopper, so that the accumulation of grain therein at once lowers said hopper, which operates to push up rods 13 and 13, arid through these and their connections above described to shift the valve-actuators and 71 into their inoperative positions, and allowing the weight 90 to throw fully over, and thus hold the valve tightly closed against the valve 60, as in Fig. 9. The said shifting of the wtlve-actuators 55 and 71 allows the beam to rise without opening the valves, and before the load has been fully discharged from the bucket, as shown in Fig. 10. When the load of grain has been fully discharged from the bucket into the hopper I, and when the major part of said discharged grain has also passed out therefrom, said hopper gradually rises and first operates to draw down the rod 13, so that the pin 92, which is fixed in said rod, strikes the arm 94.- of thelatch 86, thereby disengaging said latch from the arm of the closer and allowing said closer to be closed by means of the weight 124: attached thereto, said closer being immediately locked closed by the latch 82, all as shown in Fig. 11. On the further discharge of: the grain from the hopper, as in Fig. 2, the hopper rises with greater force, and operates through the rods 13 and 13 and the connections described to open both the valves, as shown in Fig. 12, when the grain again flows freely into the grain-bucket, and the above-described opera tions are repeated.

If at any time during the use of the machine the grain should remain in the hopper P, as in Fig. 10, by reason of the grain at t8 in the conduit- I) being stationary, the valves will remain closed and the machine stand idleg but whenever the grain is lowered in said conduit the grain in the hopper descends, the hopper rises and opens the valves, and the machine starts into operation. Thus the regulator I is not merely a regulator, but is a part of the val veactuating mechanism, which feature is one part of my present invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a grain-weighcr, the com bination,with the counterweighted scale-beam carrying the bucket, of reducing and cut-off valves actuated from said beam through shiftable actuators, onefor each valve, the regulator below the bucket, and actuator-shifting devices opcratively connecting said regulator with each said actuator.

$3. In a grain-weigher, the combination,with the scale-beam and the grain-bucket carried thereby, of the bucket-closer having a lockarm, latch for locking said closer shut, a detent-latch for locking the closer open, the regulator, and a connection from the regu later to unlock said detent-latch on the rising of the regulator.

3. In a grain-wcigher, the oombination,with the grain-bucket having the spout thereof with one edge below the other edge, and with means for locking open the closer, of the closer pivotally supported on the bucket adjacent to the upper edge thereof and arranged to close under the lower edge thereof, and a stop limiting the opening movement of the closer, whereby the discharging grain impinges against the closer when it is full open for insuring the locking open thereof.

In a grain-weigher, the co1nbination,with the bucket having the inclined dischargespout, of the closer pivotally supported adjacent to the upper edge of said spout and arranged to close under the lower edge thereof, the guard 36, set on said spout forward of the lower edge thereof and contiguous to the lower edge of the closer when this is shut, and a stop limiting the opening movement of the closer, substantially as shown, to bring its lower edge in substantially thchorizontal plane of the lower edge of said guard, whereby thediseharging grain is directed against the closer for insuring the complete opening thereof, and whereby said guard and closer together form guides controlling the direction of the outflow of grain into the regulatorhopper below the bucket.

5. In a grain-weighcr, the combination,with the grain-bucket, ol' the closer Ii, pivoted thereto and having the lock-arm, the latch 2, a stop actuating said latch on the descent of the bucket, the detent-latch S6, and means, substantially as deseribcd,operating to unlock said dctent'latch when the bucket is up.

6. In agrain-wcigher,thecombination,with the grain-buclmt, of the closer-pivoted thereto and hz'iving the lock-arm, the latches locking said closer open and shut, the hopper I, the rod 13, constructed to actuate one said latch, and a fixed stop located to operate the other said latch.

7. In a grain-weigher, the combination, with the scale-beam, of valve mechanism actuated therefrom through a shiftable actuator, the grain-bucket, and the closer therefor, the regulator-hopper below the bucket, and

connections from the hopper to the closer dctent-latch and to the valve-actuator, whereby the opened closer is unhooked on the earliest upward movement of the hopper and next the valves are opened.

8. In a grain-weigher, and in combination substantially as described, the improved cutoff valve herein described, it consisting in the concaved valve-blade, the arms rising from the concave side of said blade and constructed for pivotally supporting the same, and the extended or weight arm carrying the horizontally-outreaching cut-off cam US, having the poising face and the cut-oft face below said poising face.

9. In a graii'l-weigher, and in combination substantially as described, the improved cutolt valve hereindescribed, it consisting in the valv.e-blade, the arms rising from either.

end of said blade and constructed for pivotally supporting the same, the outreaching cutoff cam on said arm, and the Weight-arm extending upward from said cam and provided with the beam-actuating weight.

10. In a grain-Weigher,and in combination substantially as described, the improved reducing-valve herein described, it consisting in the valve-blade, the arms rising from either end of said blade and constructed for pivotally supporting the same, the reducing-cam set beyond the valve-blade, and the outreachin g connect in g-arm rigidly joining one said valvesupporting arm and the said cam, the valve radius and the cam radius being set in crosswise directions.

11. In a grain-weigher, the combination, with the scale-bea1n and the cut-0E valve having cam 68 set beyond the end of said valve, of the actuator-arm 5ft, pivoted to the beam and carrying the roll 55, and located to swing by the end of said valve, and-means actuating said arm on its said pivot.

12. In a grain-Weigher, the combination, with the scale-beam having the stud 58, and having the arm 19, carrying the pivot 56, and with the cut-off valve pivotally supported and having the cam 68, outreaching, as set forth, of the actuator-arm 54, carrying the valve-actuator and having pivot 83, and toggle-links connecting from said pivot 83 to the stud 58.

FRANCIS II. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

HENRY L. RECKARD, W. M. BYORKMAN. 

